Survey on public perceptions of outdoor air quality issues in the city of Prince George

A public opinion survey was conducted with five hundred area residents within the city of Prince George, British Columbia to determine public perceptions of outdoor air quality issues in the area. Information gathered from this survey will be used to incorporate public input into the Prince George Air Quality Management Plan. The survey contained 53 Likert-type, yes/no and open-ended questions which were organized under six separate section headings: public satisfaction with air quality, air quality as a priority in the community, perception of sources of outdoor air pollution, woodstove and fireplace inventory, transportation issues, and public participation in education. Survey results suggested that Prince George residents were not satisfied with current airshed conditions, they believed poor air quality affected their quality of life and they were pessimistic about future improvements to air quality. Industrial and mobile sources were identified by respondents as the primary contributors to air pollution. Additionally, residents expressed a need for more education on air quality issues and called for increased public awareness of the negative impacts and human health consequences of poor air quality in the city. A majority of respondents also indicated that they would participate in pollution-reducing activities if it would help improve outdoor air quality. Based on survey results, recommendations for future management of the Prince George airshed were identified.--Page ii.